No joy in Potteries for under-18's
Latics' under-18's fired another blank as they lost 1-0 at Port Vale in the Football League Youth Alliance's North West Conference.Head of Youth Tony Philliskirk identified a lack of firepower as again being their undoing.
Latics have scored only six goals in their nine league games, the lowest total of any team.
Philliskirk explained: "We must have had 11 or 12 goal attempts in the second half, but didn't hit the target once.
"We dominate games, but don't take our chances. We are lacking in the final third and again never worked their keeper."
Latics lost to a goal scored direct from a free kick late in the opening half.
Philliskirk praised goalkeeper Joel Coleman who made a couple of decent saves adding the team defended reasonably well.
He was again without Joe Cooper and Chris Sutherland, who were on first-team duty, and a number of others through injury.
As a result it was an inexperienced side mainly comprising first-team scholars and a sprinkling of schoolboys.